"If you enjoy baroque music played with the best contemporary techniques on modern instruments then this disc is for you. And if you generally don’t like modern instrument performances, then do try this one as the player’s technique and sound are so entrancing. Alex Klein’s beautifully toned account of the virtuosic solo parts contributes to a highly seductive whole."
Robert Hugill - MusicWeb-International.com
"Alex Klein, playing on a modern oboe with a modern string band to accompany him, brings these works to life with great elegance and panache. . . . His deft handling of the many blazingly fast passages in these works is astounding not only for the accuracy of his playing, but also for the apparent ease with which he brings them off. In the slow movements, and they are all achingly gorgeous, Mr. Klein plays with beautifully arched phrases and a sweetness of tone that would rival the singing of the late-lamented Dame Joan Sutherland..."
Kevin Sutton - MusicWeb-International.com
"Klein’s playing [is] wonderfully versatile and virtuosic. He and the ensemble perform these works with great spontaneity and verve. Indeed, I have no idea when the man stops to take a breath, but his style is beautifully fluid, extended, and endlessly dazzling."
John J. Puccio - Classical Candor
"Klein’s playing has such a strong presence that [lack of compositional variety] rarely becomes a problem. In fact, it’s possible to listen to this recording repeatedly and rarely take your ears away from Klein, who dispenses melodies with musical charm and technical requirements with effortless grace. Vivaldi, a violinist and prolific composer for thatinstrument, often seems to have forgotten that some soloists need to breathe; Klein can make a listener today forget that, too."
Ken Smith - Gramophone magazine
"It adds up to an edge-of-the-seat experience without a dull moment—in a word, sensational. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in Vivaldi, the oboe, or just plain superb music-making."
George Chien - Fanfare
"This recording is a reissue of one that appeared originally on the Musical Heritage Society label, and it’s very welcome. Klein is a suave highly characterful soloist with a beauty of tone to match his rock-solid technique. He gets spirited assistance from the New Brandenburg Collegium under Anthony Newman’s direction. The stereo sound is big and bright, with firm bass and a well-gauged ambience."
Lee Passarella - Audiophile Audition
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